Married Overseas

Marriage certificates issued by foreign government departments are not accepted as evidence of your new name by most Australian organisations. If you were married overseas you'll need a BDM legal name change certificate.

If you lodge your name change application in the same state as your birth, you are issued an amended birth certificate showing your name at birth and your new name. If you were born overseas you should lodge your application in your state of residence. For more information, including costs and turnaround times, read our section on legal name change.

Marriage certificates issued by foreign government departments are not accepted as evidence of your new name by most Australian organisations. You'll need a legal name change with Births, Deaths and Marriages from the state where you were born.

Author:Easy Name Change
Published Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Updated Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Thanks to same saex marriage being legalised in 2018, this process is now much easier! If you're a groom taking your spouse's name you may encounter a few hiccups, but the process is now available to any spouse in a marriage. MORE